Community Hemp Lab Project

Hemp is Legal

With the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill and Illinois Industrial Hemp Act, there are opportunities around the cultivation, distribution, and processing of hemp. Hemp is poised to have a substantial economic impact on rural communities, but we also pondered the question - how can we weave this economic growth into the urban landscape?

We propose to transform a vacant lot, zoned for industrial use, into a Community Hemp Lab. The lab will be at community-scale, providing education on hemp cultivation and processing in an urban area. The goal is to encourage participation of urban farms in the burgeoning hemp industry.

Community Hemp Lab

Hemp is poised to have a substantial economic impact on rural communities, but how can we weave this economic growth into the urban landscape? Chicago has a number of urban communities that struggle with unemployment, poverty, and large-scale business closings. Disadvantaged communities benefit from investment to stimulate business growth, job creation, and neighborhood revitalization.

Relevant workforce development is key to long-term community stabilization. We believe the Community Hemp Lab can bring jobs and job training to Chicago's South and West Sides in a responsible way.

Our focus will be to provide employment opportunities to residents in the growing hemp industry. Through the Community Hemp Lab we will provide education and training to employees and residents, specifically on the processing and cultivation of hemp, so they can be competitive in this growing market. Upon receiving training on the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of hemp, opportunities will arise for community members to monetize their newly-acquired skills, e.g., planting and harvesting, processing, and distribution.

The Community Hemp Lab will partner with hemp producers and processors around Illinois and neighboring states to bridge the gap between workers looking for well-paying jobs and the growing need for skilled laborers in the hemp industry.

Implementation

To implement the project, we will take advantage of prepackaged, modular growing and extraction rooms (FlexMod) meticulously engineered by industry experts for speed to market and regulatory compliance.

These modular, compact facilities meet all requirements of the NEC, OSHA, MED, and NFPA. The units are delivered fully assembled and come with engineering stamps.

Because the components are pre-manufactured, many of the permitting steps required to build will be unnecessary. The service we intend to use includes shipping and installation of the modular facilities.

Financials

We are attempting to crowdfund this project because it would allow us to remain completely autonomous and independent while raising capital. The following is an estimate of initial set up costs only.

Company Mission

Chicago Cannabis Company was started on Chicago’s south side in 2018 as a small business by three original founders. Since that day, our goal has been to produce high-quality, crafted cannabis products as well as strive to establish our company as a source of credible cannabis education. Another driver in this company is to work collaboratively with other local small business owners, co-operatives, and farmers.

As a worker-owned company, our mission is to build an inclusive cannabis cooperative by providing economic opportunities for small farmers, disadvantaged communities, and Chicago's neighborhoods that have been negatively impacted by "the war on drugs”. Responding to the need to build equity in the cannabis industry, Chicago Cannabis Company is actively working with community organizations whose purposes are aligned with this mission.

We are currently a licensed hemp processor in Illinois:

How we are different from traditional corporations:

100% employee-owned

Self-funded and independent

50% of company ownership is reserved for equity applicants, minority applicants, women, and people with disabilities

Cooperative Values

Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. Cooperative businesses exist to meet their members' needs; they are user-owned, user-controlled, and user-benefiting. They are more focused on service than investment or shareholder value.

Chicago Cannabis Company is operating as a worker-owned cooperative. In a worker cooperative model, worker members invest in and own the business together. Workers own the business and they participate in its financial success on the basis of their labor contribution to the cooperative. In a worker cooperative, capital and resources are raised by the worker cooperative members themselves. Decision-making is democratic, adhering to the principle of one-member one-vote.

Join the Cooperative

We are seeking new worker-owners to help launch the Community Hemp Lab. We will expand the site over the next two years. Our goal is to raise an initial $200,000 to purchase land, modules, and equipment for extracting botanicals and essential oils for human consumption.

The Community Hemp Lab will include an educational component, offering free tours to community members and other visitors, as a way to educate the broader society on the benefits and many uses of industrial hemp. We will partner with other urban farms and advocacy organizations to provide training relevant to the hemp industry, including:

Hydroponic and aquaponic growing workshops

Container growing workshops

Urban farming workshops

Hemp industry workshops

Learn more about the vision of our cooperative cannabis company and apply to become a candidate here.